NAVSTAR 71 (USA 256)
Country: United States of America
Live Position
Ground Track · Last 90 Minutes
Upcoming Passes · Over Your Location
About This Satellite
NAVSTAR 71 (USA 256) is listed as a payload under NORAD ID 40105 with international designator 2014-045A. According to the GCAT master catalog, it was built by BOES, on the GPS IIF platform, with a catalog mass of 1630 kg, with a shape described as Box + 2 Pan. It is associated with United States of America. In the historical build snapshot (TLE epoch 2026-09-04), its MEO orbit had an apogee of about 20,278 km and a perigee near 20,086 km, with an inclination of 55.41° and a period of roughly 718 minutes; at apogee its speed was about 3.86 km/s. It was launched on 2014-08-02. The build snapshot uses a TLE with epoch 2026-09-04. A moving map, when available, is a prediction rather than a direct measurement.
What this identity tells us
The payload classification comes from GCAT record S40105. A catalog identifier follows a tracked physical object, not necessarily an active service. Manufacturer and owner entries describe catalog associations; ownership is not interchangeable with present-day operation. A separately sourced mission history has not yet been verified for this record.
Reading this orbital snapshot
Based on TLE epoch: 2026-09-04. Estimated altitude ranges from 20,086 km at perigee to 20,278 km at apogee, a difference of 192 km. The orbital period is about 718.0 minutes. Eccentricity 0.00362 indicates a nearly circular path. In a two-body approximation, perigee speed is 1.01 times apogee speed. These are mean-element estimates, not instantaneous measurements. Distance per orbit uses an ellipse approximation.
Saved build snapshot. If a valid TLE is retrieved, this explanation and the orbit panel update together. Otherwise this dated snapshot is retained.
Ground track is not sensor coverage
An inclination of 55.41 degrees implies approximate geocentric ground-track limits of 55.4 degrees north and south. This is a prograde orbit, moving in the same general direction as Earth rotation. The plotted line marks the point beneath the object. It does not represent camera coverage, radio reception, or a guaranteed visible pass.
Accuracy and missing information
The introductory record describes the build snapshot. The orbital snapshot explanation and orbit panel share any successfully retrieved TLE; check the displayed epoch. Reentered objects retain historical data only. Mission history is not rewritten by TLE updates. TLE/SGP4 positions are predictions and can change after maneuvers or updated observations. The 14-day stale-data cutoff is a display safeguard, not an accuracy guarantee. Local passes are geometric predictions, not a visibility forecast. No verified operator or mission status means unknown, not active. Do not use this catalog for collision avoidance or operational flight decisions.
Catalog sources: CelesTrak SATCAT: NORAD 40105 · GCAT: S40105 (source update 2026 Sep 4 2345:57). Supplementary metadata: SatNOGS DB, retrieved 2026-09-05T12:57:25.375Z. Page assembled 2026-09-15. GCAT phase codes describe trajectory phases, not mission health.
Learn more: TLE data · Perigee and apogee · Ground tracks · JOT (Jewawud Live Orbital Map)